Girls who wear gentle make-up have a 20% greater chance of clinching a job.
Office dress codes can be a minefield, particularly in a first job. But
in an age where just about anything goes in fashion, while you may have
got your foot in the door, it’s what’s on those tootsies that counts.
How should you tackle ‘business casual’? And how do you interpret
‘dress-down Friday’ when you’ve never had to dress up? TNT finds out.
Your work attire will speak volumes about your ability to do your job.
As a general rule, the more distracting a piece of clothing or jewellery is, the less appropriate it is for office wear.
“By
looking neat and smart at work, what you are doing is showing respect
for the people you’re working with,” says personal image consultant,
Tessa Hood (changinggear.net). “If you’re not what it says on the tin,
you’re immediately on the back foot,” she warns.
Hood has made a career out of whipping workers up into shape.
“For
most people it’s just tiny adjustments that can make a difference to
their overall image, such as clean shoes, quality accessories and, for
men, having a clean collar and ensuring their jacket sleeves don’t hang
over their knuckles,” she says. “It should end at the top of the thumb
joint.”
And don’t get her started on ‘ankle swimmers’. “Men
always get their trouser lengths wrong. They should sit on the shoe and
have one fold.”
Ladies, keep the mascara and lip gloss on hand.
Research has shown that girls who wear gentle make-up have a 20 per
cent greater chance of clinching a job. But that’s not all it takes.
“Fit,
fit fit is a mantra of mine when it comes to women’s clothing,” says
Hood. “Don’t have anything too tight or too baggy. Ladders in tights
and badly fitting clothes can completely spoil the way you look. And
leave your wild fashion choices for the weekend.”
Naturally, the
seasons will dictate your fashion choices. In spring and summer, you
can pull off navy and white ensembles, which are strong statement
colours, but still make you appear professional and friendly. And steer
away from all over black – wear it all the time and you look too
serious. Try a black pair of dress pants or a pencil skirt and pair it
with a bright, summery top. In winter, blacks and deep purples are
suitable, as the mood in an office tends to be on the conservative
side.
Men, when picking shirts and ties, refer to your boss as a
guide. The classic white pinpoint Oxford and striped tie will never go
out of style. But if your boss’s boss and the company director are
wearing bold coloured shirts and stylised ties, then you are probably
safe to indulge.
However, Hood warns that shorts, no matter how tailored and how on-trend they may be, are banned.
Nicole
Beaven, 32, is a contract management accountant. With her jobs
regularly changing, she has the ‘what to wear’ dilemma sussed out.
“Most companies have a dress code, so I make a point of asking my recruitment agency what it is,” she says.
“Usually,
I wear nice trousers or a smart skirt and a top, or a dress, but I
always suss out what everyone else is wearing when I go to the
interview.” As for casual Fridays, never assume. “I always ask what the
score is before turning up on Friday wearing jeans, otherwise don’t
wear jeans at all until you are sure, or you just set yourself up for
embarrassment.”
Still unsure? Ask your company’s HR department. If they don’t know, who will?
